What’s The Only 2018 Message Democrats Need To Win? STOP TRUMP Before He STOPS America!

Democrats have a rational positive agenda you can find in white papers and ten-point-plans that no one in the real world reads. But if Democrats want to actually win in 2018 there’s only one issue to pound home: The vile racist woman-molesting Russia-bought traitor must be stopped- before he destroys us. When there’s a cobra in your bed discussing redecorating the room is insanity.

Republican anger at President Obama is what got their voters out in 2010 and 2014, enabling them to take back Congress… and he was a decent human being. Trump is a vile fraud to all but the most deluded so there’s absolutely nothing the Democrats could do that would be dumber than setting aside their criticisms of Trump to focus on some “affirmative” 2018 boilerplate agenda.

If Democrats do manage to take back the House and Senate, the primary task in the subsequent two years — their only task — is going to be thwarting, constraining, and investigating Trump and his administration for the same reason that Churchill’s only job in 1939 was thwarting Hitler.

As for being against Trump, not being a positive enough message, what could possibly be more important right now? How can anything good get done with a liar mocking democracy, truth, justice, mercy and beauty in the Oval Office?

What’s the problem with “I’m against Trump and want to stop him ruining the very idea of America” as the central Democratic message? It seems to be the single most persuasive moral truth now, right up there with saying that “rape, abuse, theft and dishonor are bad.”

Trump is not just “a single issue.” He’s a national emergency.

Centrist pundits insist Democrats have to stand for “something more than opposing Trump.” Wrong! Nothing else counts until this vile clown/despot is checked, stopped, reduced, dis-empowered. After that let’s talk policy.

Anger at Trump is not just sufficient to win, it’s the only morally and politically appropriate message for 2018. What Democrats need, more than anything else, is for their base to get energized, excited, and yes, toweringly angry. And no, being nice won’t get many Trump voters to switch sides. We just need to get Democrats and independent voters to VOTE!

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Amen my friend … and again I say amen . Though once again I’d offer up a minor pedantic correction . It is not just the cult of American evangelicals that is at the core of the rot going on in the US . It is a toxic combination of the Evangelicals , Fundamentalists , a large percentage of Roman & Eastern Orthodox Catholics … along with the Ecumenical , Mainstream and .. shock of shocks … a fair majority of the liberal churches as well .

All rapidly declining in both numbers as well as finances … all fully aware of their loss of influence over the majority of Americans … and all ( and this is the KEY point ) desperate to regain their former perceived glory and power …. and all to a number willing to do anything to accomplish that goal on this very obvious transitional age we are in .*

So once again … might I recommend the use of the word another one of our astute ( and at the moment much missed ) commenters brought into the fray .

Christofascists … which sums them all up in one simple elegant word that flows off the tongue and the fingers like warm honey off a spoon

* Seriously Nine … don’t sell yourself and your intellectual capabilities short … go to your local library and check out a copy of John Lukacs’s book ” At the End of An Age ” .. he explains in detail with many historical references just what a transitional age is ( we’ve been thru several since the dawn of written history ) … and how people and entities deal with it .

Suffice it to say .. in the end the book provides more comfort than one would think … as suddenly much of the erratic and seemingly destructive behavior currently being witnessed all comes into focus

PS; But ahh .. Nine … I kinda likes the Amish .. I don’t agree with many aspects of their religion … but I kinda likes them …. and has much respect for their farming and care of the land and animals *…. so maybe not the best analogy ?

Actually … and many political advisers agree with me .. focusing solely on the Toddler in Chief Trump and the sycophant quisling minions cult of the GOP and their christofascist parasites ( thanks Nine ) is the last thing the DNC needs to do to win . As a side point … yes .. but the majority of their message needs to be … what will they try and bring to the table to help right the many wrongs in what is becoming an American civilization in rapid decline .

The DNC’s largest obstacles ?

1) The ” Culture of Complaint ” that much of middle ( and lower ) America has become

3) An extremely divisive element best represented here by the individual posting as gdd who’s sole agenda / goal is to sow division … rather than any semblance of unity or genuine concern for the state of the nation and its peoples…

4) A ridiculously high number of Gospel of Ayn Rand adherents both in portions of power as well as wishing they were … hell bent on creating a state of Absolute Anarcho- Capitalism … rather than the responsible , compassionate and conscientious capitalism that we desperately need to become .. lest we all go down in a ball of flames

5) As well as the DNC’s over dependence on wretched excess political correctness .

Suffice it to say in this age/zeitgeist of BREXIT/MAY/Trump/Putin/NewEuroNeofascism etc … tis time to be kind rather than nice … with the understanding that being genuinely kind is many times anything but nice ….

.. cause baby …. this is War ( again thanks Nine ) … and its time to start taking names … kicking a little ( a lot actually ) posterior … and quit bringing a dull rusty pen knife to an all out artillery battle

I think it should definitely continue to be a leading theme to talk about, but what got Hillary beat in ’16 was talking EXCLUSIVELY about what a shitheel Donald Trump is. While that is patently true, I think she needed to spend more time talking about what the Dems were going to do that was good for America.

Yes … it is an interesting interview … but when analyzed and listened to critically … the conclusions after listening to Skahill .. and what I walked away with … still add up to … The Collective Stupidity of America .

e.g. Children in adult bodies rebelling against perceived parental figures while maintaining the victims role steeped within their ” Culture of Complaint ” desperately looking for a scapegoat to blame .. because the majority of them live in a reality distortion field refusing to accept responsibility or culpability for their own thoughts and actions .

And the fact that they actually believed for a moment that Uncle Bernie…….

( much as I appreciate and respect the man having lived under his reign as mayor and US Senator and having known the man personally )

.. in light of his democratic socialist stance that most Americans misinterpret as communism would of been able to accomplish a damn thing what with a majority GOP senate and congress …

.. or worse … even entertaining the idea that a psychopath narcissistic reality TV star with a well documented long history of pathological lying , cons , unpaid bills , more bankruptcies than any other billionaire , blatant rip offs , racism , bigotry , misogyny etc – et al – ad nauseam .. was ever going to be in their corner …

.. was due to the fact that they volitionally tossed aside any education and knowledge they may of attained .. while immersing themselves within the depths and abyss of unsubstantiated fictional conspiracy theory most of which was created in order to draw their attention away from the real issues and genuine solutions .. allowing themselves to be addled by celebrity while entertaining themselves to death ..

Once again adding up to what can only be called in all honesty .. The Collective Stupidity of America . And that by the way is exactly how the world currently views us . Stupid !

FYI ; As much as Skahill is trying to take the higher ground while playing both sides of the fence with this interview … the fact is what with his consistent propagation of blatant cynicism verging on paranoia as well as conspiracy theory and reality distortion …

… the fact is he is equally to blame for the election ( by the Electoral College ) of Donald Trump ..

Yet .. unlike his alt right counterpart Glen Beck .. I’ve yet to see ( or hear ) Skahill offer so much as a single apology or even try to make amends for the role he played in the debacle that was the 2016 elections

Phew .. lecture over … donuts and coffee in the break room … quiz next Tuesday … but damn .. is any of this really worth the effort ?

PS; In my opinion for a much better balanced view of the US from the CDN perspective focused more on the issues rather than an attempt to entertain …

Nine ole bean .. in essence you are correct but to place a little sharper focus on the matter by zooming in on the details ;

1) Extreme Gerrymandering on behalf of the GOP since the year 2000 was definitely what pushed the Electoral College vote in Trump’s favor despite the popular vote going Hillary’s way

2) Add to that the excessive voter restrictions put into place in many red states , districts , cities and towns that by intent prevented registered voters .. both minorities , working class and the poor from voting

3) And then there is that despicable 50 – 60% of registered voters who sat at home deluding themselves into thinking they were taking the higher ground by not voting ( gdd included ) .. now whining and complaining as well as offering Pie in the Sky delusional solutions lacking any semblance of credibility , viability or reality

4) Regardless of the above though .. Hillary and the DNC still share a part of the blame for their overwhelming loss both in the POTUS as well as House and Senate races . Suffice it to say to put it into the vernacular … the DNC from Obama on down effed up in 2016 ( FYI I was saying that some 12 months before the primaries and elections happened .. warning everyone within earshot Trump might just win … sigh … the Cassandra syndrome exemplified )

5) But I will still contend … that the overwhelming reason why Trump won … is a Collective Stupidity of America that has been rapidly emerging since the 60’s .. exacerbated by the 70’s .. gaining a solid foothold by the 80’s and growing like a toxic weed ever since …. a volitional stupidity addicted to entertainment .. addled by celebrity .. dependent on conspiracy theory .. all while volitionally avoiding the facts , critical thinking and mature behavior as if it were the plague itself

In other words … much as we can focus some of the blame elsewhere … and as desperate as many may be in seeking a scapegoat by which to mitigate their responsibilities and culpabilities ..

.. the majority of the blame falls firmly on our shoulders as we all stood by for decades watching this happen from the comfort of our couches and screens while doing not a damn thing about it

In conclusion though Nine .. once again I 2nd the motion ;

VOTE FOR THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS .. because those are the ONLY two choices you/we have …

As one who does read policy statement, I’m coming from ‘outside’ the ‘real world.’

As I see it, a ‘nothing else counts’ campaign sets up your party for defeat.

Take Devin Nunes’ [R-CA] memo. What has it to do with Democrat Party policy?

Normally, Congressional Republicans defend relentlessly the repression of any who expose secret and/or illegal US activities as Manning, Assange and Snowden. On the other side, Wray and Rosenstein defend unfettered power of the intelligence apparatus to spy on anyone and everyone – including candidates and top aides without accountability.

But the Nunes fiasco empowers Republicans to pose as advocates of civil liberties and the rights of individuals to be free of unwarranted government spying. Were they smart, Republicans would tie this matter to the Democrat Party Platform:

’We will protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people—standing firm against the type of warrantless surveillance of American citizens that flourished during the Bush Administration.’ p. 39

It’s all rather ludicrous. Nunes was a lead proponent of reauthorizing Section 702 of the PATRIOT Act authorizing virtually unlimited warrantless spying on citizen communications. The somewhat differing context aside, think of the political hay they could make of it.

People really should read their Party platforms. It could promote political responsibility. It might even keep them from stumbling into the occasional political trap.

I know I certainly wouldn’t want to run an ‘anyone but’ style campaign against someone posing as a defender of civil rights. Would you?

Gee gdd .. for a pseudo intellectual wanna be such as yourself … thats quite the pantload of utterly irrelevant , disparate and disjunct fertilizing effluence you’ve posted having absolutely nothing what so ever to do with either Nine’s comment nor the overall context / conversation at hand .. not to mention your complete avoidance of the facts and the truth in your desperate attempt to once again try and propagate your blatant propaganda and biases completely devoid of reality rather than engage in any genuine conversation , debate or argument .

Any narcissist knows theirs are the most important words on the planet, and disagreement with a narcissist results in all you depict. Narcissists are also well known for their verbal avalanches. Your verbal avalanche reveals not my but your own refusal to engage issues. So if you’re done clowning yourself, I suggest returning to the linked article you posted the other day to Umair Haque’s piece at https://eand.co/why-were-underestimating-american-collapse-be04d9e55235

However I would subtitle the article, ‘New Pathologies of the World’s most “Unequal” Failed State.’

The varied pathologies named – school shootings, opioid epidemic, powerlessness/indignity, unaffordable social bonds, indifference and social predation – are of two different kinds. Mass shootings, the opioid epidemic and broken social bonds are consequences of a deeper issue. They arise from powerlessness and predation, which form an axis in which social relations unfold. With closer examination, Haque may have observed that the secondary pathologies relate to the profound crisis in the world capitalist system he addresses. Additionally, a quarter century of war contributes profoundly to the degeneration of common social life.

Further reflection might also have suggested that it is precisely our being propagandized to thoroughly which has contributed to the collapse of the social narratives that once bound us together. As our narratives become meaningless, so do our rituals, including support for the institutions and processes of state.

Years ago, Hauerwas argued that WAR and redemptive violence now serves as the basis of our national renewal. And Hedges discusses WAR as a force which gives us meaning. However these things do not constitute a people or nation.

Today’s working class is in a ‘pre-Exodus/Egypt’ moment. The promise [think of the ‘national dream’] is forgotten or repudiated. The sacramental rite bonding Abraham’s descendents into a family is essentially meaningless. And the false/idolatrous Capitalist narrative which supplants all else in the US not only fails to deliver, but is broadly disbelieved.

Whom will I say sent me … because we BOTH know they’re not going to believe me…

Essentially, we’re left today with … nothing. Nihilism explains much of what Haque describes.

It’s time to ask, ‘what narrative can bind us together, end social powerlessness and predation, and bind us together as a people who can build resilient communities. What we have now isn’t working. It’s produced a nation of nihilists. And if others don’t produce that narrative, believe me when I tell you – socialists will!

” We will protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people—standing firm against the type of warrantless surveillance of American citizens that flourished during the Bush Administration”

.. is irrelevant to what Nunes has done , the GOP has applied their rubber stamp to with Drumpf signing off on .

Too bad your abject lack of philosophical , ideological , theological , psychological and ethical knowledge is superseded by your absolute lack of knowledge when it comes to all things political , law and governance .

…. and to reiterate gdd … what people such as yourself should be doing is to grow up and start acting your age rather than acting and thinking the intellectual , moral and emotional equivalent of your’s and/or your younger siblings shoe size …. accepting the difficult mature , adult responsibility of learning the most basic of life’s philosophical and ethical lessons …( especially for one such as yourself claiming to be some form of ecumenical christian or another ) .. that being ..

The realities of the Moral Dilemma /Tragic Dilemma/ Ethical Dilemma as it pertains to the Tragic Reality we all live within regardless of faith or creed … thereby comprehending the even more basic reality of ..

Choosing the lesser of two evils when those are the ONLY two choices you have .

Lest you be saddled with the consequences of the greater of the two evils … which we are … in part … thanks to the likes of you .

And on that note … in deference to your insincere platitudes and attitudes blessings … may I offer you the internationally recognized single digit salute in thanks for your ( by refusing to vote ) participating aiding and abetting the election of the greater of the two evils … Donald Trump

Thirty years ago fringe elements such as Trump , the Tea Party , the Freedom Caucus etc in the US … as well as the likes of a Geert Wilders , Berlusconi , Putin , Boris Johnson worldwide along with characters such as our own GD and gdd would of been kept on the lunatic fringe …. which is exactly where they all belong

Whereas today thanks to the Collective Stupidity engulfing the world over …

The only fascism, per the standard definition, that’s been exposed in the current administration is related to co-opting of the national security enterprise in an attempt to prevent the current administration.
If Democrats, progressives, want to continue to rally around the irrational, insane really, far left causes then they will suffer the same earned defeats in 2018 that they did in 2016. Carry on never Trumpers. Carry on.

I’m concerned about the reckless tax cut that shows increases in peoples pay checks right now. Our paycheck went up however our health insurance benefits per dollar paid went down dramatically. It is said ‘People vote with their pocket books.” Brilliant Republican strategy to buy the American People before the 2018 election. And to top it off the tax cuts to individuals expire near the election in 7 years.
In addition, many people I know have found the news and destructive policies so depressing they have sort of tuned out. – That is also what the Trump and the Republicans want. They have successfully beaten the HOPE out of many of us. And many more moderate Republicans are in complete denial about Trump. They tell me it would be worse if Hilary was president. Frank, thank you for speaking up. Keep going!